Lizzo has added some clarity around her recent declaration that she had “quit,” and made it quite clear that she did not mean was she was leaving music.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday (April 2), the superstar singer explained that despite many misconstruing her message to be about leaving the business, she meant only that she’s going to quit responding and giving energy to the many detractors she’s encountered throughout her career.
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“I wanna make this video because I just need to clarify,” she began. “When I say I quit, I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention. What I’m not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music, which is connecting the people – because I know I’m not alone. In no way shape or form am I the only person who is experiencing that negative voice that seems to be louder than the positive.
“If I can just give one person the inspiration or motivation to stand up for themselves and say they quit letting negative people win, negative comments win, then I’ve done even more than I could have hoped for. With that being said, I’m going to keep moving forward. I’m going to keep being me. Once again I just wanna say thank you. The love that I’ve received means more than you know.”
In late March, Lizzo shared a candid message on Instagram, opening up about the personal struggles she’s been facing. These challenges, according to the note, led her to make the difficult decision to “quit” — something many at the time assumed meant leaving the music industry behind.
“I’m getting tired of putting up with getting dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.
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“I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views … being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look … my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name.”
Signing off, she declared: “I didn’t sign up for this shit – I QUIT.”
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The post prompted a vicious response from a lawyer who is representing one of the superstar’s former backup dancers in a sexual harassment lawsuit.
In a statement obtained by Billboard on Monday (April 1), Los Angeles-based attorney Ron Zambrano wrote: “It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself.”
He continued: “Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in. Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim.
“She has thrown these childish tantrums before. No one actually believes she is quitting music. But she should quit sexually harassing, shaming and bullying her employees and finally accept responsibility for her actions.”
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In making his point, he also referenced the recent allegations against Diddy as well as former Nickelodeon executive Dan Schneider.
“She can make all of this go away simply by seizing the opportunity here to set an example, own up to her mistakes, pay what’s due to those she’s wronged and work on becoming a better person,” he concluded.
